X^^' ''-r^: 






i: S 



^^xy y 






v' 



%s^ 



c> 



.-^'^^ 



x^^^. 



•Cl 



N (-■ ;;, 



■'' ^ \ 






\^ 



.0<^x. 



^oo^ 






C' 






^^^'^ 



0^ 

* .0 K 









.'X" 



, 'o 



^o^ 











\<. '^v ■ ^ f- ^^ 


''t< 


^^ %., o ^0^ ^ ,,. -^ -^^ 


'> 




'V . '' ' •■ 




* -x 




ax 


CO 









,-N- 












V 






^* -x^' "^ ". ^ Digitized by the Internet Archive 
^\\^ ^ N .. ,^ ^- '' in 2011 with funding from 

,^' ^ "'^ X The Library of Congress 



'"^^ 


v^ 


\ - 




^r. 


> V, 


^^^' 

k 








,>x 


■- ;"" 







v-^ 



x^ 



^r 


/• 


..^ 




e^. 


* -> 


\ ' 


.0 


'/ -^ 




C\ 




<' 








^ \ 


% 






,sV> 


'^r.. 


- 



'% \f.-^^ 






"U' V, * x"^ "^ ' '"^^ 



:/■ 






>■ z 
4- 



^-^ttpy/www.arGhive.org/detaiis/whenmotherietsusOOyaie 



WHEN MOTHER 
LETS US GIVE A PARTY 




DRESSING UP 



WHEN MOTHER LETS 
US GIVE A PARTY 

A BOOK THAT TELLS LITTLE FOLK HOW BEST TO 
ENTERTAIN AND AMUSE THEIR LITTLE FRIENDS 



By ELSIE DUNCAN YALE 



ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUDELL 




N.ON-IN 
FER.IOR 
A-SEQV 

EN>E5 




NEW YORK 
MOFFAT, Y^ARD AND COMPANY 

1909 



Copyright, 1909, by 
MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 

NEW YORK 

All Rights Reserved 



Published, October, 1909 






©CIA251778 



TO 

MY DAUGHTERS 

WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY MAY ALWAYS BE 

"GIVEN TO HOSPITALITY" 

THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction 1 

Invitations 3 

Getting Ready 5 

Parties You Can Have Without Mother 's Help . 7 

For Sandwiches . 8 

Candy Pull . 8 

Fudge Party 10 

Pop Corn Party 10, 

1 Sewing Bee 12 

I Paper Doll Party 15 

Clothes Pin Party . 17 

Indoor Garden Party 19 

Christmas Sunshine Party 21 

Easter Sunshine Party 23 

Doll's Christmas Tree Party^ 24 

A Christmas Sewing Bee 27 

Indoor Picnic . 27 

Indoor Picnic for Dolls .29 

An Afternoon in Holland 30 

Japanese Tea (Indoors) 33 

Japanese Tea (Outdoors) 35 

Hiawatha Party" 37 

Daffodil Party 41 

Buttercup Party , 43 

Tulip Tea 45 

Clover Party" 46 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

EosE Party 49 

Daisy Party 53 

Soap Bubble Party 55 

Chrysanthemum Party 55 

Valentine Party 57 

George Washington Party 62 

St. Patrick 's Party 65 - 

Easter Party 69 

Rabbit Party 71 

May Day Party (Outdoors) 73 

May Day 73 

.Fourth of July Party 77 

Hallowe'en Party 81 

Colonial Garden Party .85 

Thanksgiving .87 

A Holly Luncheon 89 

Additional Games 

Menagerie 90 

Criticism .90 

Musical Neighbors 91 

Hunt the Ring ....". 92 

Slip the Ruler 92 

Beast, Bird or Fish 92 

Shouting Proverbs 93 

Beans 93 

What is my Thought Like 94 

Post .94 

Charades 95 

How, When and Where .95 

Peanut Grab 96 

Feathers 96 



ILLUSTRATIOXS 



Dressing Up 

A Candy Pull is Lots of Fun . 

Come with a Skip 

Come Around and Stay to Tea . 
Come Spend the Afternoon with ]\Ie 
The Braves and the Squaws 
A Dance of Grandmother's Time . 

Queen of the May 

A Hallowe'en Party 



PAGE 

Frontispiece 
9 
11 
13 
25 
39 
61 
75 
83 



INTRODUCTION 

There is nothing tliat is much more fun than 
a party, is there? Mother hasn't forgotten the 
days when she set a little table in the attic with 
the dolls' tea-set, and had cambric tea and jam 
sandwiches. As for a birthday party, why it 
doesn't seem a bit like a birthday without a 
frosted cake and pink candles and ice cream in 
forms — but there ! That was to be a surprise. 

Birthday parties only come once a year, of 
course, but there are other parties in between, 
afternoon teas on the piazza or in the playroom, 
or in the barn, if you are so fortunate as to have 
a barn. These parties oughtn't to mean extra 
work for mother, for you can have them all 
yourself, if mother is w^illing. 

So when she says, ''Yes, you may have a 
party, ' ' after you have hugged her, and told her 
she w^as the dearest mother in the world, you can 
begin to get ready. 



WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PAKTY 



"U. S. V. p./' at the end, 
Means ^^an answer kindly send/' 
But a child who is polite, 
Knows she should an answer write. 




WHEN .MUTliKK J.ETS US OFV^E A i'AKTY 3 

INVITATIONS 

First of all, for the invitations. Choose yonr 
prettiest note paper, and don't forget to write 
very plainly the date of the party. If you are 
just going to have a little afternoon tea, you can 
simply write. 

Dear Daisy, — 

^'Will you conic to my house to tea on Friday 
afternoon, June sixth, at three o'clock? I hope 
you can. "Lovingly, 

' ' Dorothy. 
"19 Elm Street, 
"June first.'' 

Or if you are going to have a larger party, you 
can write: 

^'Miss Dorothy Manners requests the pleasure 
of your presence at her home on Friday after- 
noo)iy June sixth, from four until eight o'clock. 

''19 Elm Street. 
June first.'' 



<i 



Be sure to send your invitations in time for 
your friends to write replies. Mother will need 
to know just how large a birthday cake to bake, 
and how much ice cream to freeze ! 






whe:n^ mother lets us give a party 



'Twill be a good plan (and there's truth in my 

rhynie) 
To always begin to get ready in time. 



WHEX MOTHER LETS US GIVE A TAETY 5 

GETTING READY 

If you are going to have many parties, tliere 
are quite a number of things which you can keep 
on liand, all ready to use when you need them. 
An old trunk or box, or barrel will be nice to 
have on purpose for ^'dress-up" clothes. Put 
away in this all the old hats, and dresses, and 
shawls, in which mother lets you dress up. Then 
they'll be safe, so that no one will throw or give 
them away by mistake, and you'll always know 
just where to find them. 

It is a good thing to have wooden picnic plates 
on hand, and' these will be very useful for out- 
door parties. Mother may object to your using 
her good china, for sometimes plates will get 
broken when you are just as careful as you know 
how to be. So you can decorate your wooden 
plates very prettily by cutting out the flowers or 
figures which are on paper napkins, and pasting 
them on the plates. Then they will do nicely for 
your lawn or piazza parties. 

It is a good plan to have a supply of paper 
napkins and you can buy them by the hundred, 
or by the dozen. If mother is afraid to let you 
have her pretty table cloth or lunch cloth for 
fear it might get stained, you can get a lovely 
paper table cloth with napkins and little dishes, 
for twentv-five cents. 



6 



WHEI^ MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



'You might suggest to your relatives when 
Cliristmas or your birthday is near, tliat a set 
of tea cups, or plates, or little spoons would be 
a very acceptable present. 

A folding table is very useful when you have 
afternoon teas on the piazza or lawn, and this 
can be bought for a dollar. 

You can make very dainty baskets for candy 
and salted nuts, from little paper cases costing 
fifteen cents a dozen, and crepe paper at ten 
cents a roll. Five or ten cents will buy a pretty 
souvenir, and every child enjoys something to 
take home from the party. 

So you see a party isn't such a great deal of 
trouble, and I'm sure the ''best mother in the 
world" will let you invite your friends to come 
and see you quite often. 

If you have a party and don't bother mother, 
I'm sure she'll allow you to soon have another. 



„***' 




WHEN :\10'ilIER LETS US GIVE A IWiiTY 7 

PARTIES YOU CAN HAVE WITHOUT MOTHER'S HELP 

Usually, wlicn mother's friends call on her in 
the afternoon, she serves them with tea and 
wafers or cakes. Perhaps she lets you hel}) her. 
Xow when you friends come to see you, very 
likelv mother will sometimes be willino; for vou 
to make a pitcher of lemonade, or a few jam sand- 
wiches, for them. Try to serve these very daint- 
ily on a tray, using the napkins which you have 
all readv. 

Here is a very valuable secret. When mother 
says, ^'No, I can't let you get your refreshments 
ready yourself, ' ' do 5^ou know the reason ? Slie 
is afraid you w^ill not do it tidily, and that she 
will have to set the kitchen in order after you 
have finished. So put the sugar box back in its 
place, don't leave the breadboard out, and set 
everything back just where you foimd it. 

Then I'm sure that the next time you ask 
mother she will say, ^^Yes." 

So if she allows you to make lemonade, or 
cocoa for your friends, here are the recipes : 

For one glass of lemonade take the juice of 
half a lemon, mix with two teaspoons of sugar, 
and add one cup of water. To make fruit lemon- 
ade add a few strawberries, or cherries, or bits 
I of pineapple, or slices of orange to the lemonade. 



8 V/HEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

For one cup of cocoa, mix a teaspoon of cocoa 
with a teaspoon of sugar, and then mix with one 
tablespoon of boiling water. Stir it well till the 
lumps are all out. Put a half pint of milk over 
the stove (being careful not to burn it), when it 
^^ wrinkles" on the top, pour the cocoa in, and 
let it boil a few minutes, stirring so that it will 
not scorch. 

FOR SANDWICHES 

Soften the butter a few minutes before you use 
it. Butter the bread before cutting off each 
slice, and cut very thin. Then lay the buttered 
slices neatly together and trim off the crusts. 
The sandwiches may be filled with jelly, jam, 
chopped hard boiled egg, chopped meat, or nuts. 

CANDY PULL 

Of course you must have this party in the 
kitchen, and either ask your friends to bring 
gingham aprons, or provide aprons for them. 
Have nice bright tin pans ready for your candy, 
and get together everything that the recipe calls 
for. If mother is willing you can make two 
kinds of candy at once on the stove, one for 
^^ pulling" and one for ^^nut taffy." Although 
you can easily make the candy yourself, mother 
had best be on hand when you are working over 
the fire. This is a good party for a rainy day. 




A candy iDull is lots of fun. 



10 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PAETY 

FUDGE PARTY 

For a fudge party, you will need aprons of 
course, and permission to use the stove, or per- 
haps your big sister's chafing dish. Get your 
materials together, and when your friends come, 
you can have just as good a time as the girls do 
at college. '^When Mother Lets Us Cook" will 
tell you just how to make your fudge, and then 
you will have one less thing to learn at college. 

This is a good party for a rainy day. 



POP CORN PARTY 

For this you will need popping corn, and sev- 
eral poppers. If you only have one, maybe your 
guests will bring theirs. 

You can take turns rubbing the corn from the 
ears, and popping it. 

This is another rainy day party. 





Come with a skip and come with a hop, 
I've some corn that you must pop. 



12 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



SEWING BEE 

Mother will approve of a sewing bee, you see 
if she doesn 't ! It is a most industrious way to 
spend an afternoon ! Invite your friends 
around, and ask them to bring their dolls, their 
work baskets, and material to work with. (Of 
course this is just a girls' party! Boys are left 
out !) If it is warm weather, it will be pleasant 
to sew on the piazza or lawn, and if it is too cool 
for this, the playroom will be pleasant for your 
sewing bee. Of course the boys will say that 
you do more talking than sewing, but show them 
that they are wrong by getting some pretty 
clothes made for your dolls. 

At the end of the afternoon clear off your sew- 
ing table, cover it with a dainty cloth and serve 
afternoon tea. (It is queer to call it tea, when 
you have cocoa or lemonade!) 





Come around and stny to tea. 

We will have a sewing bee ; 

Bring- your needle, tliread and thimble, 

Tongues and fingers will be nimble, 



14 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



I wish to make each paper doll 

A very stylish trousseau ; 

So come and help me dress them all, 

I trust that you will do so. 




WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A TAKTY 15 

PAPER DOLL PARTY 

For this party you will need as many paper 
dolls as you liave invited friends, and of course 
this, too, is just a girls' jD^rty. Boys are out of 
it ! Beside the dolls, get colored tissue or crepe 
paper, scissors, and paste. Arrange a table, at 
which to work, and when all your guests have 
come, you can begin dressing the paper dolls. 
Let each choose her own materials for the 
dresses. If you like, you can give a prize for the 
best dressed doll, mother to be the judge. 

Then for refreshments lemonade, or cocoa and 
sandwiches will be nice, or if mother is willing, 
ice cream and cake. The refreshments can be 
served on the table, on which you are working, 
if you like, for it will only take a few moments 
to clear away the work, and arrange it for a tea 
table. 



16 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



A clothespin party's new to you^ 
I really have no doubt, 
So come to spend the afternoon, 
And then you will find out. 




WHEX MOTHEli LETS TS GIVE A rARTY 17 

CLOTHES PIN PARTY 

For a Clotliesi)in Party you will need a couple 
of dozen clothespins, and plenty of colored tissue 
or crepe paper. In one corner of the invitation 
you can draw a clothespin. The clothesx)in party 
is very much like the paper doll party, except 
that you dress clothespins up for dolls, in the col- 
ored paper. You will be surprised to see what 
pretty dolls you can make. Mother can decide 
who has dressed the prettiest dolls, and give a 
little prize. Your friends will enjoy playing 
with the dolls they have dressed, until it is time 
for refreshments. You can serve '^afternoon 
tea," or something more if mother is willing. 



18 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



At an indoor garden party, I your presence 

request, 
And I'll really be delighted, if you'll come and 

be my guest. 




WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 19 

INDOOR GARDEN PARTY 

For the indoor garden party, you will need a 
large sheet for a screen, and plenty of ]oictures 
cut from magazines and catalogues. These pic- 
tures must be of houses, barns, stables, trees, 
animals, anything that will have place in an out- 
door scene. You will also need a paper of pins, 
some large sheets of white paper, and, if you like, 
a couple of little gifts for ^^I'izes, such as a box 
of crayons or a box of |)aints. 

After your friends have come, arrange the 
sheet in place, and pin in the center a large 
picture of a house which has been cut out. Now 
let your g\iests help themselves to the pictures 
which you have cut out, each taking one. For 
example, one child may have a barn, another a 
rose bush, another a dog kemiel. Blindfold each 
in turn, and let him pin the picture on the sheet. 
When all have finished you will have a queer- 
looking landscape, for a dog kennel may be on 
the roof and a rose bush growing from a lawn 
mower ! 

After this game, get out your sheets of paper, 
scissors, and pictures which you have ready. Let 
each one try making a garden with his eyes open ! 
Paste a house in the center of the |)aper, and 
arrange trees, bushes, fountain, etc., about it as 



20 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PAETY 

tastefully as possible. Tlien after mother lias 
decided which is the best, you can give the prize 
which you have bought. 

You can serve your refreshments from a little 
table just as you would at a garden party. 



When Christmas time is drawing near 
With all its mirth and merry cheer, 
In midst of all your Christmas joys 
Remember other girls and boys ! 




WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 21 

CHRISTMAS SUNSHINE PARTY 

This is really the very nicest kind of a party 
to give. Just try it and see for yourself! For 
this you will need plenty of narrow, red (or red 
and green ribbon) holly seals, nice white wrap- 
ping pa^^er, and any other things which make 
holiday packages look ' ' Christmas-y. ' ' Be sure 
not to forget a jar of j)aste. Buy some of the 
beautiful copies of famous paintings, which are 
sold at a cent a piece, and cards on which to 
momit them, at two cents each. If mother can 
let you have some colored cambric — pink or 
blue — you can use it for scrap-books, and you 
will also need scrap pictures and plenty of old 
magazines from which to cut pictures. Have 
ready a couple of dozen holly napkins, and three 
pounds of candy. 

"Write your invitations on paper with a holly 
decoration in the corner, and ask your friends 
to bring any toys which they are willing to give 
away. 

Then when the children come there will be 
plenty to do. Two can cut scrap pictures from 
the magazines, another can make the scrap book 
from the pink or blue cambric. 

The pictures will need to be mounted, and when 
you do these, just paste the corners to the mount. 



22 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PAETY 

Tliey must be wrapped prettily in white paper, 
and eitlier sealed with holly seals or tied with 
ribbon, or both. These are nice gifts for a hos- 
pital. 

Two other children can attend to the candy 
bags. Lay a holly napkin right side up on the 
table and put a handful of candy in the center. 
Now draw the corners together, and tie firmly 
with ribbon, around the candy. Smooth out the 
corners, and you will have a pretty candy bag. 

The toys which have been brought will need 
to be wrapped nicely and tied with ribbon, so the 
afternoon will pass quickly. Perhaps mother 
will let you serve creamed chicken, peas, potato 
chips, ice cream and cake to your guests, for after 
such a busy afternoon they will surely be hungry. 

This is a very good way to entertain your Sim- 
day school class. 



When you're the hostess, bear in mind 
You must unselfish be, and kind. 
Don't play the games that you like best. 
But always try to please the rest. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 23 

EASTER SUNSHINE PARTY 

This is very mucli like a Christmas Sunsliine 
Party, excejot that you will need a nunibep of 
little baskets, candy Easter eggs, lavender or yel- 
low ribbon, lily or violet napkins, and little 
chickens or rabbits which you can buy for a cent 
a piece. 

Then you can make little Easter gifts for other 
children and have a good time while you are 
doing it. Tie up the candy in the Easter nap- 
kins just as you did in the Christmas napkins, 
and let the children arrange pretty Easter 
baskets. 

This is a good party to give to your Sunday 
school class, and your teacher. 




24 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

DOLL'S CHRISTMAS TREE PARTY 

This is also a Christmas holiday party. For 
this you will need either small evergreen 
branches for the Christmas tree, or better yet, the 
little dwarf trees in pots. Ask mother to let you 
have some of the ornaments from your own tree, 
and have plenty of colored paper, paste, scissors, 
also popcorn, needles and thread, and tree hooks. 
If you can have a little netting, some colored 
worsted, and candy, you can find use for them. 
After your friends have come, make the orna- 
ments for your trees, such as gilt and silver 
stars, strings of popcorn, and chains of colored 
paper. Using a doll's stocking as a pattern, cut 
the net in the shape of stockings, overhand two 
pieces together with colored worsted on three 
sides. Fill these bags with candy, then overhand 
the top together and hang on the tree. 

Hot chocolate with sandwiches is nice for a 
winter afternoon, and your friends will enjoy it 
after they have finished trimming their trees. 




Come spend the afternoon with me. 
Be sure to bring yonr dolly; 
We'll trim for her a Christmas tree, 
Now won't that be real jolly? 



26 WHE^ MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



As Christmas time will be here soon, 
Please come and spend the afternoon, 
No matter what may be the weather, 
And we will sit and sew together. 
Unless we hurry, I'm afraid 
We wont get all our presents made. 




WHEN MOTHER LETS US GB^E A PARTY 27 

A CHRISTMAS SEWING BEE 

A Christmas sewing bee is very mucli like any 
other sewing bee, except that instead of making 
dolls' clothes, you make Christmas presents. 
Ask the other girls to bring whatever gifts they 
are working on, and you can spend a busy after- 
noon together. Christmas time always comes 
more quickly than you think it will, and it is a 
good plan to have your presents ready early. So 
I'm sure mother will approve of a Christmas 
sewing bee. 

INDOOR PICNIC 

This is a nice party to give during Christmas 
week, when the Christmas greens are still up, and 
you have so many new toys that you want to 
show your friends. For this party you will need 
evergreens, an old covering like a ' ' drugget ' ' for 
the j9oor, large baskets, wooden plates, and re- 
freshments such as you have at a picnic. 

Before the children come, fill the baskets with 
sandwiches, devilled eggs, cookies, fruit, and 
cake, and whatever else you like to take when 
you go on a picnic. 

Trim the playroom with greens, and cover the 
floor, so the picnic won't hurt it. When your 
guests arrive, you can play outdoor games, just 



28 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

as if you were at a real picnic. When it is time 
for refreshments, tlie children can help you bring 
in the baskets, and can set the table in true picnic 
style. Instead of a pitcher of water, use a pail 
and dipper, and if you have lemonade, that 
should be in a pail, too. 

You will find that an indoor picnic is a great 
deal of fun. 



Please bring your dolls around to call. 
That all my dolls may meet them. 
We'll have a good time for them all, 
And to a picnic treat them. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



29 



INDOOR PICNIC FOR DOLLS 

You can have this same kind of a j)icnic for 
your dolls. It will be great fun to make swings, 
see-saws and slides for them, but be ca]*eful not 
to let the dolls play too roughly, for they might 
get hurt! 

Then of course you must get out your little 
china tea-set for your refreshments, and serve 
*' cambric" tea and jam sandwiches. 




30 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

AN AFTERNOON IN HOLLAND 

This is a party which your friends will be sure 
to enjoy. Write your invitations on paper deco- 
rated with Delft scenes, or else upon cards cut 
in the shape of a Dutch shoe. Ask mother to 
please make you a Dutch cap of lawn, and then 
with a red or blue dress and a kerchief you'll be 
a young Hollander. Have ready as many Dutch 
post cards as you have invited guests, also scis- 
sors, and a wooden shoe apiece. 

First play *^ Going to Amsterdam,'' which is 
the same as your old friend ''Going to Jerusa- 
lem. ' ' Then while your guests catch their breath 
after this very exciting trip, bring out your 
Dutch post cards and give one to each child, with 
a pair of scissors and an envelope. The post 
cards must all be cut into irregular pieces for 
puzzles, and then the pieces put in the envelope, 
being careful not to lose a single piece. When 
all the puzzles are cut, let each child pass to his 
right-hand neighbor. Then allow five minutes 
to put the puzzles together, after which you pass 
puzzles again. If you have not invited many 
guests, you can keep on passing puzzles till you 
have solved them all. 

Now for the game of ''Wise Men," which is 
really a German game, but will do very well for 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GR^E A PARTY 31 

a Dutch party. Choose three children for the 
wise men. These three enter the room, and are 
asked, ^'Who are jouV^ They answer, ^' Three 
men traveling hither from the East." Then 
comes the question, ^^What kind of men are 
your' 

''We are good, honest men." 

^'What is your traded' 

The ' ' wise men ' ' must then go through the mo- 
tions of some trade, such as baking, ploughing, 
building, etc. The others must guess the occupa- 
tion meant, and as soon as they have guessed 
three other wise men are chosen. 

A more restful game is Dutch Housewife. 

One child is chosen for ''Housewife" and she 
must ask contributions for her kitchen. So 
each in turn offers to give some article used in 
the kitchen, such as a stove, dishpan, plate, etc. 
Then the "Housewife" must ask each player ten 
questions, and to each question, the article con- 
tributed must be given as the reply. Whoever 
laughs must pay a forfeit. If you have prom- 
ised a dishpan, and the housewife asks, ' ' In what 
do you ride?" you must of course answer, "A 
dishpan." It's hard not to laugh, and ahnost 
everyone has to ]3ay a forfeit. 

The supper table can be set in Delft blue with 
a small windmill for a centerpiece, and at each 



32 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

place have a wooden shoe, filled with chocolates. 
Mother would be sure to say that a regular 
^^ Dutch lunch" Avould mean a visit from the doc- 
tor some hours later. So instead of pickles and 
cheese, and all the other indigestibles that the 
grown folks enjoy, serve chocolate with whipped 
cream, sandwiches, chocolate bonbons, and honey 
cakes. (These latter you can buy at any Ger- 
man bakery.) 

I'm sure your friends will all vote this ^^Af- 
ternoon in Holland" a great success. 



TO MISS WISTARIA 
To Miss Wistaria: 
I write to inquire if my guest you will be, 
And come to my home for a Japanese tea? 
Shp on a kimono and carry a fan, 
And then you will look like a maid of Japan. 



WHEN :mother lets us give a party 33 

JAPANESE TEA 

This may be given indoors or on the piazza, 
according to the season of the year. Send your 
invitations on note paper with a Japanese deco- 
ration in the corner, and address each friend by 
some Japanese name such as Wistaria, Chrysan- 
themum or Cherry Blossom. If this is to be an 
indoor tea, arrange one room to look as much 
like Japan as possible, and this can be done by 
taking the furniture out ! Place straw mats on 
the floor to be used for chairs. Little bamboo 
plant stands, and footstools will do very well 
for tables, and a few plants will decorate the 
room nicely. Maple branches at the doorways 
or artificial cherry boughs will give a very festive 
air. 

Japanese costumes can be easily managed. 
All you need is a kimona, wide sash, and a few 
little fans for your hair. The sash should be 
tied under your arms with a ^Mjutterfly" bow 
in the back, and your hair should be dressed high, 
and ornamented with tiny fans. If you haven't 
a kimona, borrow mother's, and make a dee]D hem 
in it, so that it will be the right length. 

If you want to be very ^'Japanese," your 
friends can remove their shoes at the door of 
the room. They must address you A^ery respect- 



34 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PAETY 

fully, and speak of your ^^magnificent home," 
while you, according to Japanese rules of polite- 
ness, should thank them for coming to your mis- 
erable hut! 

Have a few checker-boards, and a game of 
Halma in readiness, for checkers and backgam- 
mon are Japanese games, while Halma is very 
much like a game which represents the fifty- 
three post stations between Yedo and Kioto. 
Call the starting place ''Yedo," and your goal 
''Kioto" and you have almost exactly a Japanese 
game. Charades are favorite amusements of 
Japanese children, and so is a game like our 
"Authors." 

It would be very interesting if mother would 
read aloud a Japanese fairy story, for you would 
all enjoy it. 

Refreshments should be brought in on a lac- 
quer tray and served on the low stools, and of 
course you will need Japanese dishes. Tea, 
dainty little cakes and bonbons would be a good 
choice for refreshments, but it would be an ex- 
cellent plan to set a plate of sandwiches on your 
tray, too, for the Japanese menu might not be 
sufficient for an American appetite. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GR^E A PAETY 35 

JAPANESE TEA (Outdoors) 

Foe a Japanese Tea on the lawn you will need 
the same costumes as for an indoor tea. The re- 
freshments, too, are the same, and the j^iazza 
can be easily arranged in Japanese style. 

If you are fortunate enough to have plenty 
of room for your party, a kite-playing contest 
will be great fun, and you must be sure to get 
the queer '^ bird" kites that the children of Japan 
love. Puss-in-the-corner is a Japanese game 
(did you Iniow it before?) and so is Blindman's 
Buff. 

Japanese girls and boys enjoy battledore and 
shuttlecock, and when they play, whoever fails 
must have his face marked with charcoal. 

The Japanese children are fond of playing 
ball, too, and they use a ball wound with silk 
of different colors. 

By the time that you have tried all these games, 
you and your guests will be quite ready to sit 
down on the straw mats, and enjoy Japanese 
refreshments. 



6K) WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PAETY 



TO JACK-RUN-A-RACE 

Won't you come to my tepee'? 
Squaws and braves you there will see. 
By canoe or forest trail, 
At my wigwam do not fail. 




WHEN MOTHER LETS US OWE A PARTY 37 

HIAWATHA PARTY 

This is a party for the country, and though 
it sounds like a boys' party, the girls will enjoy 
it, too. 

For this you will need a target, one of the 
new guns which shoots rubber-tipped arrows, 
several boxes of beads, a set of quoits, boomer- 
angs (which you can buy for twenty-five cents 
at a toy store) , a football, and a number of prizes. 
These may be Indian baskets, birch bark canoes, 
or an}i;hing that is Indian. For your costmne 
you can buy a ^^ Hiawatha" or ^^ Minnehaha" suit 
from a dollar up, or for twenty-five cents yon 
can get a kind of Indian apron which is stamped 
on muslin, all ready to cut out. Write your 
invitations on birch bark, with your pyrogra- 
phy set (if you have one), and ask your friends 
to wear Indian costumes and to take an Indian 
name for the occasion. 

A Hiawatha Party should be a field day of 
outdoor sports, so arrange a program of races, 
(obstacle and hurdle races would be fun) and 
have a prize for each winner. Quoits is an In- 
dian game, or at least, the Indians play a game 
very much like our quoits, and when your guests 
are tired of this, set up your target for an archery 
contest. The girls will enjoy making bead neck- 



38 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

laces, and if they have brought their dolls, each 
doll must be strapped to a board in ^^ papoose" 
style, and be fastened to her '' mother's" shoul- 
ders. 

Indians are fond of football, although they 
don't play by rules, for they simply kick the 
ball about, and each tries to keep it as long as 
possible. 

Boomerangs are very fascinating toys, which 
will sail through the air, circle around the object 
you aimed at, and come back to you. 

^* Skilled was he in sports and pastimes, 
In the merry dance of snow shoes. 
In the play of quoits and ball play; 
Skilled was he in games of hazard, 
In all games of skill and hazard, 
Pugasing, the Bowl and Counters, 
Kuntassor, the Game of Plum Stones." 

Hiawatha. 

"When the braves and squaws have grown hun- 
gry, the kettle of steaming 'Venison" should be 
brought in, and the whole tribe sits down around 
it. It is not really venison, but stewed chicken, 
which the ''tribe" probably prefers to venison, 
and with it are passed hot cornbread and ears 
of corn. Berries may be served in birch bark 




c^cs^^ 



•AB- 



The Braves and the Squaws. 



40 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PAKTY 

dishes, and little birch bark canoes are good for 
souvenirs. 

After supper the whole tribe should take part 
in an Indian war dance about a camp fire, and 
then, having said farewell to Hiawatha and Min- 
nehaha, return along the trail, each to his own 
tepee. 



The springtide has followed the winter so chilly 
And brought to the garden Miss Daffy-down- 

dilly. 
I'll give in her honor, a daffodil tea. 
So may I expect you precisely at three ? 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 41 

DAFFODIL PARTY 

Plexty of ^'daify-clown-dillies" will be used 
for this party, also materials for making them 
of paper (you can buy this already prepared), 
brown tissue paper, yellow and green crepe pa- 
per, clothes pins, yellow baby ribbon, and as many 
little gifts as you have invited giiests. Get a 
shallow wooden box about two feet long and one 
foot wide and fill it with sawdust. Wrap your 
gifts in the brown tissue paper, so that they will 
look like bulbs. Now fasten each to the stem of 
a daffodil (you may use paper daffodils if you 
wish) and ^' plant" them in your box of sawdust. 
When you have finished, your box will look like a 
bed of daffodils, especially if 3^ou cover the out- 
side of the box with green paper. Arrange vases 
of daffodils around the room, or piazza. It 
would be a very good idea for you to wear yellow 
sash and ribbons with your white dress. Then 
you'll be a ^'daffy-down-dilly" yourself! After 
your friends have come you can give each one ma- 
terials for a paper daffodil, and whoever makes 
the prettiest, should receive a little prize. Next 
YOU can dress ^ ^ daff v-down-dillv " dolls, usino- 
clothes pins, and the crepe joaper, and of course 
the one whose doll is the best should have some 
reward. 



42 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

After jou have played whatever games your 
guests will enjoy the best, lead the way to the 
fairy daffodil bed, which is, of course, your 
wooden box. Then let each pull out a daffodil, 
and find the surprise hidden at the root. 

Mother will probably decorate the table in 
yellow for you, and of course in the center will 
be a big bowl of daffodils. Chicken salad, po- 
tato chips, rolls, frozen custard, cakes with 
orange icing, and salted nuts, would be a very 
good choice for refreshments, as they would carry 
out the yellow plan. It would be an excellent 
idea to give each one of your guests a few daffo- 
dils to take home. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 43 

BUTTERCUP PARTY 

This is just the party for the country when 
the buttercups seem to be nodding tlieir yellow 
heads to you and saying, ^^Come and pick us !" 

The invitations for this party may be neatly 
13rinted with gilt paint upon a white card, or else 
written on note paper which has a buttercup 
decoration. 

You will need to have ready a number of little 
yellow baskets — as many as you have invited 
children — two or three |)ounds of ^'buttercup" 
candies, and a sheet on which mother has drawn 
in yellow crayon, a large buttercup without any 
stem. Cut out of pasteboard or cloth a stem to 
fit this buttercup. 

It would be a good idea for you to wear a 
white dress with yellow sash and hair ribbons. 

After your guests have come, first of all you 
can have a buttercup hunt. Give each child a 
yellow basket in which to collect candy butter- 
cups. Mother has hidden the buttercups for 
you, having first wrapped each in paraffine pa- 
per. (They would be sticky if she didn't do 
this!) After you have filled your baskets, and 
if you choose, have given a prize to the one col- 
lecting the most buttercups, you can announce a 
buttercup contest. This is exactly like a donkey 



44 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

party, except that tlie blindfolded one must pin 
the stem on the buttercup. It isn't as easy as 
it would seem ! 

Next you can play ^'Buttercups and Farmer.'' 
This is a form of blindman's buff, for the 
''farmer" must be blindfolded. Take a space 
on the lawn about twenty feet square for the 
"field" and place the "farmer" in the center. 
The "buttercups" (who are the rest of the chil- 
dren) may take their places anywhere in the 
field. When ready to begin, the farmer says, 

' ' The buttercups are in my way, 
I ' 11 mow them down when I make hay. ' ' 

He is then allowed to take eight steps, while the 
buttercups must not move. If he touches a but- 
tercup, and names the child who is the butter- 
cup, that one becomes farmer. If the farmer 
fails to touch a buttercup he must be led back 
to the center of the field again. 

When it is time for refreshments, the table 
can be set out under the trees, and if mother is 
willing, your girl friends will enjoy decorating 
it with buttercups. For refreshments you can 
serve chicken sandwiches, lemonade, little cakes 
iced with orange icing, and ice cream in yellow 
paper cases. A little girl who gave this party 
said that it was a great deal of fun. 



WHEN :\10TJiJ>:R TJ'/rS US GIVE A PARTY 45 
TULIP TEA 

As tulips are the national flower of Holland, 
a tulip tea is only another form of a Duteli party. 
The Dutch games may be played, and for a sur- 
prise, a tulip bed should be arranged, just as the 
daffodil bed was. 

The same refreshments may be served at your 
''Tulip Tea,'' as you had for your afternoon in 
Holland, but your tal)le decorations will need to 
be different. The very prettiest centerpiece you 
can have would be gay red and yellow tulips 
in a Japanese flower-holder. If you do not own 
one of these latter, give one to mother for her 
birthday, for they do not cost much, and are 
much prettier for flowers than a vase. 

The candles should have red and yellow shades, 
and a little ''tulip" lamp should stand at each 
place as a souvenir to take home. 

"One leaf is for love and one is for hope 
And one is for faith, you know. 
And God put another one in for luck ; 
If you search you will find where they grow. ' ' 

Ella Higgixsox. 



46 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

CLOVER PARTY 

Perhaps you have near your house a clover 
patch where four-leaved clovers are whispering 
' ' Come and find me ! ' ' Then of course you must 
have a clover party! Press as many clover 
leaves as you have invited guests, and decorate 
each invitation card with one of the pressed 
leaves. Write the invitations in green ink. 
There isn't a great deal to get ready for this 
party. Ask mother for a sheet, and either you 
or she can draw in green crayon a large, four- 
leaved clover. Cut from green cardboard four 
leaves which will exactly fit this outline. Have 
ready a large paper bag filled with nuts and 
candy, a stick twined with green paper for a 
wand, and as many green baskets as you have 
invited children. Do not forget to have several 
^'clover" pins, to use for prizes. 

After everyone has come, you can announce 
a four-leaved clover hunt, and reward the lucky 
finder with the clover pin, as a prize. 

Next comes the clover contest, which is almost 
the same as the famous ^^ Donkey Party." Fas- 
ten up between two trees the sheet upon which 
the four-leaved clover has been drawn. Blind- 
fold each child in turn, giving him the four 
clover leaves to pin in place, and give a prize to 



WHEN MOTHER LETS ITS GIVE A PARTY 47 

the one who has come nearest to the right places. 

*'Bees in Clover" is a lively game which all 
will enjoy. Mark off a line by means of string, 
which shall be the boundary of the '^ clover 
patch." The farmer stands in the clover patch, 
and tries to keep the bees (the other children). 
out of his clover. As soon as a bee crosses the 
line, the farmer tries to touch him, and if he 
succeeds, the bee must stay and help him catch 
the others. 

When you are tired of this game, ask mother 
to hang the bag of nuts and candy high up, 
where you can reach it with the wand, and give 
each child a basket. Now blindfold each in turn, 
and let him try to be the ^4ucky" one who will 
strike the bag with the wand and break it. When 
the bag is broken the candy and nuts will come 
tumbling down, and then there will be a general 
scramble to gather them and fill the baskets. 

Refreshments should be served on the la^vn 
or piazza, and the table should be prettily deco- 
rated with clover blossoms. The refreshments 
may be tongue and lettuce sandwiches, grape lem- 
onade, cakes with pink icing and cherry ice. It 
would be a good idea to serve the sandwiches 
from picnic plates decorated with clover. 



48 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



O come to my party, for welcome you'll be, 
And I will expect you exactly at three. 
A large bow of pink kindly pin on your clothes, 
For this is a party whose color is rose. 




WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 49 

ROSE PARTY 

In June, when the roses are blooming in the 
garden, or climbing over the piazza, you must 
be sure to have a rose party! Give it on the 
lawn, if you are fortunate enough to have one, 
or else on the piazza. 

If you do not mail your invitations but have 
them left at your friends' homes, tie each note 
with pink ribbon to the stem of a pink rose. 

For your party you will need to have ready 
^^Rose Ring Toss.'' If you have a set of ^'ring 
toss," wind the hoops with pink paper, and if 
you have not a set, you can easily make one, 
by winding different size embroidery hoops with 
pink paper, and driving a stake in the ground 
where you are ready to play. Have ready, also, 
a number of pink bean bags. 

The first game to play is " Drop the Rose," 
which is just like '^Drop the Handkerchief," ex- 
cept that you use a long-stemmed pink rose (be 
sure and trim the thorns off!). 

This can be followed by ^'Rose Ring Toss," 
and of course you know that this is played by 
standing some distance from the stake, and try- 
ing to throw the rings over it. The large ring 
counts five, the next ten, and the next fifteen. 



50 WHEN MOTHEE LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

Mother will keep score for you, and she can 
decide what number will win the game. 

A party wouldn't be complete without ^'Lon- 
don Bridge!" But as this is a rose party the 
*' pillars" of the bridge can offer each child the 
choice between a red rose or a pink rose. Next 
you can enjoy a game of bean bag. 

By this time you will be ready for refresh- 
ments, and mother will not have any difficulty 
in decorating the table, with plenty of roses at 
hand. In the center of the table should be a 
^^ Jack Horner" pie, in the form of a large paper 
rose, and from this ^'pie," pink ribbons run to 
each place. (A Jack Horner pie can be bought, 
all ready to set on the table.) Little candy boxes 
with a rose decoration will be just the thing for 
souvenirs to take home. For refreshments have 
creamed chicken, or chicken salad, rolls, small 
cakes iced in pink, salted nuts, pink bonbons, 
and strawberry ice cream. To serve the ice 
cream in a very pretty way, take small flower 
pots, and scrub them well, till they are as clean 
as clean can be. Then they can be filled with 
strawberry ice cream. Next, chocolate is grated 
on the top, until the pink is covered and it looks 
like a little pot of earth. Now stick a pink rose 
in it, as if the rose were growing in the pot, and 



"WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



51 



you will have a ^'dainty dish to set before a 
king ! ' ' 

After you have finished, when mother gives 
the signal, i^ull the pink ribbons and out from 
the Jack Horner pie will come a present for 
each of you. 




52 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



I'm going to give a ^^ Daisy Tea"; 
Of course, you are invited. 
Now won't you please say '^yes" to me, 
And I will be ^'dee-lighted!" 



WHEX :mothepv lets rs give a tarty 53 



DAISY PARTY 

When the fields are full of daisies, and tliey 
are growing in the parks, too, ask mother to al- 
low you to go and gather some, and then you '11 be 
ready for a daisy party. Of course this is an 
out-door party ! . 

When you write your invitations, sketch a 
daisy in the corner (a daisy isn't hard to draw!) 
and color it with your crayons. For your party 
you will need a sheet like you had for your but- 
tercup party, except that a daisy is drawn, in- 
stead of a buttercup. Daisy ring toss is like 
rose ring toss, too, except that the rings are 
wound with yellow and white paper. You will 
need, also, some little gift, as a prize for the 
one who pins the stem to the daisy. If you like, 
you can make a few yellow and white bean bags. 

It will not be hard to entertain your friends 
at the daisy party. ^^Drop the Daisy" is a lively 
game like " Drop the Handkerchief." Daisy 
ring toss will be a great deal of fun, and every 
one will enjoy trying to pin the stem to the daisy. 
You can have a merry game with the yellow and 
white bean bags, and then will 1)e ready for re- 
freshments. If your guests are girls, they will 
enjoy helping you decorate the table with daisies, 
but perhaps mother will prefer to do it herself. 



54 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

For supper, serve chicken salad, rolls, deviled 
eggs, white and gold cake, and vanilla ice cream. 
Have the ice cream cut in round slices (it should 
be packed in a can for this) and in the center, 
place a round of lemon jelly, to resemble the 
center of the daisy. 



Forget your work, forget your troubles. 
And come around to blow some bubbles ! 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PAETY 5o 

SOAP BUBBLE PARTY 

This is either an outdoor or an indoor party, 
but if the weatlier is warm, very likely mother 
would prefer that you gave it out doors. Mother 
Nature's green carpet isn't easily spoiled. For 
this party you will need gingham aprons, pipes, 
bowls, soap, and small tables, as well as several 
prizes. You can blow bubbles with a penny clay 
pipe, but nowadays there are fascinating ^'bub- 
ble" sets which cost twenty-five cents. With 
these you can blow the most remarkable bubbles, 
and with each set are directions for fancy 
bubble blowing, which will keep you busy the 
whole afternoon. 

You can have contests, and give a prize for 
the largest bubble, the one that lasts the longest, 
the one that floats the highest, etc. Mother will 
probably be willing to '^umpire" and award the 
prizes. 

For refreshments, serve sandwiches, fruit lem- 
onade, ice cream and lady-fingers. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM PARTY 

This is just the same as a Japanese tea, except 
that since it is in chrysanthemum time, it must 
be an indoor party. Decorate your rooms with 



56 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PAETY 

clirysantliemiiins instead of artificial cherry blos- 
soms, and be sure to wear a chrysanthemum in 
your hair, tucked over your ear. 

Play the games described for the Japanese tea, 
and serve the same refreshments. 



In honor of St. Valentine, I'm going to give a 

party, 
My invitation's cordial and your welcome will be 

hearty. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PAETY 57 

VALENTINE PARTY 

Valentine's Day is an ideal day for a party, 
and if mother says ^^yes," why, send out your 
inviations right away. Use heart-shaped cards, 
and seal the envelopes with tiny ^^ heart'' seals. 
Of course your preparations for the party will 
depend on how much money you have to sjDend, 
but here are some ideas that have been tried, 
and are a great deal of fun. When you are 
sure of the number of guests, buy heart-shaped 
boxes, large red cardboard hearts, gifts, and 
make small red bags, enough for each child to 
have one. Borrow mother's scissors, a jar of 
paste, and hunt up any old magazines or cata- 
logues that may be in the house. Place a gift 
in each ^4ieart" box, wrap each box up neatly, 
and tie with scarlet ribbon. A few vases of 
scarlet carnations, and strings of hearts looped 
about, will give the room a very festive air. 
Hide the candy hearts around the room, where 
they will not be found too easily. If you wear 
a red sash and hair ribbons with vour w^hite 
dress, you will look like a real little Valentine 
girl, all ready to receive 3^our guests. 

The first ^^ number on the program" may be a 
Heart Hunt, so give each child a red bag in 
which to collect the hearts which he finds. Next 



58 "WHEN MOTHER LETS TS GIVE A PARTY 

comes a heart auction, and mother can be auc- 
tioneer and sell at auction the heart-shaped 
boxes. The ^^ customers" bid with candy hearts 
instead of money, and nobody can make more 
than one purchase. 

Then St. Valentine's candle (which is a red 
candle in a candlestick) may be lit, and placed 
on a table. Each child, in turn, must be blind- 
folded and stand ten paces away from the candle. 
He turns around three times, takes ten steps 
toward the candle, as he supposes, and then tries 
to blow it out. The one who is successful in 
this, will be very fortunate through the coming 
year. 

Next distribute the pasteboard hearts, and let 
each guest write his or her name on them. Now 
pass to the right-hand neighbor, who must deco- 
rate the heart with pictures cut from catalogues 
or magazines. For instance, Dorothy's heart 
will be ornamented with pictures of dogs, birds, 
hair ribbons and candy, for these are Dorothy's 
favorites. Jack's heart will be decorated with 
pictures of automobiles, motor boats, guns, and 
fishing tackle. Each heart is supposed to show 
just what the owner is fond of. 

Then supper can be served, and since it is 
Valentijie's Day a ^^ hearty" supper will be just 
the thing. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS T\S GIVE A PARTY 59 

Eecl carnations and recl-sliadecl candles make 
a pretty decoration, or if mother is willing to 
take more trouble, a Cupid may occupy the place 
of honor in the center of the table. From his 
bow, narrow red ribbons extend to silver card- 
board arrows, which are at each place, and serve 
as ^* place cards.'' ''Coup Jacques," for the first 
course, sound interesting and are as nice as they 
sound. Fill sherbet glasses half full of small 
pieces of pineapple, orange and banana, then 
cover with cherry ice, smoothing the top over 
carefully. Oysters in heart-shaped pattie shells, 
heart-shaped sandwiches, heart cakes, and bon- 
bons, and ice cream in the form of hearts, will 
make a very nice Valentine supper, and there 
should be a dainty Valentine souvenir at each 
plate. 

AYhen your guests say ''good-bye," they'll tell 
you that they have had a lovely time. See if 
thev don't! 



60 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PAKTY 



In honor of George Washington, 

Who lived so long ago, 

I ask you to a party, now; 

The date, of course, you know. 

And so I trust you'll come around 

And stay for quite awhile. 

Dressed up, perhaps, in grandma's clothes, 

Or some old-fashioned style. 




A Dance of Grandmother's Time, 



62 WHEN MOTHER LETS TS GIVE A PARTY 

GEORGE WASHINGTON PARTY 

Very probably George Wasliington never had 
a birthday party, as he lived in the days when 
children were ^'seen and not heard.'' So it 
would be a good idea to have a party in his honor 
on his birthday. Of course you will need old- 
fashioned costumes, and these will probably be 
found by ransacking the garret. But if, like 
Mother Hubbard's cupboard, the garret is bare, 
you can easily borrow a skirt of mother's, fasten 
it under your arms, tie a sash in Empire style, 
put on a kerchief, and there you are ! 

All that you will need to have ready for this 
party will be silhouette paper, and cardboard 
mounts for the silhouette pictures. 

The afternoon may be spent in playing old- 
fashioned games, such as ^^ London Bridge, 
^'What is my Thought Like," *^ Proverbs, 
''Going to Jerusalem," and ''Mulberry Bush, 
ending up with a Virginia reel. Then while 
you are resting, mother will make a silhouette 
picture ©f each one of you. You must sit in 
front of a lamp so that your shadow will fall 
clearly upon the wall or door. Then the paper 
should be fastened so that your shadow will fall 
on it, and an outline be made with pencil. This 
outline is to be cut out, and pasted upon a card- 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



63 



board mount, and there is a fine silhouette por- 
trait! Tliese portraits can be hung about the 
room, as an art gallery, and you can have a great 
deal of fun trying to decide ^Svho's who." 

By this time you will be ready for mother's 
old-fashioned supper, so you will sit down at 
^^ early candle light," and enjoy stewed chicken 
and waffles, hot biscuit, preserves, cake and ice 
cream. If mother wishes to be very '^colonial" 
she will have a large ball of popcorn in the cen- 
ter of the table. A box of bonbons in the form of 
a three-cornered hat, will be a nice souvenir for 
each guest. 




64 WHEN MOTHEE LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



Acuslila, mavourneen, O come to my party; 
O come, for I bid yez, so cordial and hearty, 
And so at my cottage I trust ye '11 be seen, 
Tlie day of St. Patrick, a-wearin' the green. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 65 

ST. PATRICK'S PARTY 

As St. Patrick's Day draws near you will see 
so many fascinating little souvenirs in the stores 
that you really can't help asking mother to let 
you have a St. Patrick's party. -I hope she will 
say ^^ Yes!" 

In the corner of your invitations should he a 
shamrock or an Irish hat, and you can buy these 
cards just before St. Patrick's Day. For your 
party you will need two pounds of candy ^'sham- 
rocks," as many small baskets tied with green 
ribbon as you have invited gTiests, a sheet upon 
which a shamrock has been drawn (the one you 
had for your clover party will do), and a smooth, 
white stone, for the '^ Blarney Stone." Beside 
these have ready two dozen potatoes, a couple of 
tablespoons, two shallow baskets and three 
prizes. 

Of course, before your friends arrive you must 
pin a green bow on your dress, since this is the 
day for ''The Wearin' of the Green." 

First comes the shamrock hunt, so give to 
each child a bag or basket, and sharp eyes will 
soon find the shami^ocks which have been hidden 
about the room. 

Next, have the potato race in the hall, and of 
course you loiow how to have a potato race! 



66 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

Place the potatoes a foot apart in two long rows. 
Let two children race first, and they must lift 
the potatoes on a spoon, one by one, and carry 
them back to the basket. Whoever drops one is 
out of the race. 

A box of candy decorated in green will be 
a good prize for the winner. 

As a rest from the excitement of the potato 
race, the shamrock contest may come next, and 
this is just like the clover contest at your clover 
party. 

Last of all, your friends must all kiss the 
Blarney Stone, for of course you know that who- 
ever kisses the Blarney Stone will ever after say 
nothing but pleasant words. Place the stone 
(which you have had well scrubbed) in the cen- 
ter of a table and blindfold each of your guests 
in turn, and let them try to kiss it, and whoever 
is successful will be fortunate ever after, as the 
fairy tales say. 

The supper table can be decorated very pret- 
tily for a St. Patrick's party with green-shaded 
candles and ferns. After the lively games the 
^^ company" will enjoy creamed chicken with 
peas, potato chips (it wouldn't be a St. Patrick's 
supper without potatoes!), cakes with pista- 
chio icing, green mint candy, and although 
pistachio ice cream would carry out the green 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 67 

color i)lan, yet it would be better to have vanilla, 
as there are many who do not care for pistachio. 
It would be a good plan to have a little souvenir 
at each plate. 



68 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



On Easter Monday be my guest 
(I hope it will be clear and sunny) ; 
We'll play tlie games we like the best, 
So come and bring your Easter bunny. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 69 

EASTER PARTY 

There may be ^'Blue Mondays," but surely 
Easter Monday is one of the brightest, happiest 
days that ever dawned. Of course you are anx- 
ious for your friends to see the Easter gifts which 
you have received, so if motlier is willing, send 
out your invitations for an Easter party, not 
forgetting to seal them with a lily seal. 

For your party you will need colored tissue 
paper (as many different colors as you will have 
guests), also a small basket apiece, and plenty 
of little rabbits, chickens and eggs. Buy a cou- 
ple of pounds of jelly eggs, and have ready a 
medium-sized, shallow basket. If this is a 
^^ girls' " party, have ready eggshells from 
which the egg has been blown, also scissors and 
paste. Don 't forget a little gift for a prize, and 
be sure to have for each guest an egg, upon which 
his or her name is marked. 

Before the children arrive, wa^ap the chickens, 
rabbits and eggs separately in the colored tissue 
paper, the same number in each color, and hide 
them about the room. Hide the jelly eggs, too, 
but of course these need not be wrapped. 

Then you can begin your party with an ^^ Eas- 
ter hunt." Give each child a basket to gather 
^Hreasures" in, but (this is important!) he can 



70 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

only keep articles wrapped in the color with 
which his basket is tied. Of course with jelly 
eggs, ^^ finding's keeping.'' Next in order comes 
''Tossing Eggs." This sounds startling, but 
jelly eggs won't make any trouble. Place the 
basket at one end of the room. Now, let each 
child stand nine feet distant and try to throw 
twelve jelly eggs into the basket. The one who 
is the best marksman wins a prize. 

A race with the small Easter eggs is ''run" 
just in the same way as a potato race, except 
that teaspoons are used instead of tablespoons. 

The girls will enjoy trying their millinery skill 
by making tissue paper caps or bonnets for the 
Easter eggshells, and mother can decide which 
"egg lady" deserves a prize. 

The supper table for the Easter party can be 
made very pretty indeed. A hen on a nest will 
be a good centerpiece, and scattered here and 
there on the table place fluffy little ducks and 
chickens. Your guests will greatly enjoy 
creamed chicken with peas, deviled eggs, ice 
cream in the form of lilies, or in lily paper cases, 
bonbons and fancy cakes. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 71 

RABBIT PAETY 

Your older sister will tell you that she knows 
all about rabbit parties, and that for this fes- 
tivity you will require cheese and a chafing dish. 
But she's very much mistaken, even if she has 
been to college. What you must have for your 
rabbit party is a sheet with a rabbit drawn on 
it, and a pair of cloth ears to pin on the rabbit. 
You'll also need a small candy rabbit, some mod- 
eling clay (and aprons!) and three prizes, but 
these are all, for this isn't a college party. 

Of course your invitations have been written 
on paper which is decorated with a bunny. 

Your first game can be the rabbit contest, and 
for this let each child in turn be blindfolded and 
try to pin the ears on the rabbit. A prize will 
reward the one who pins them the nearest to 
their proper place. 

Next snip out with sharp scissors two small 
holes for the rabbit's eyes. Divide the children 
into two groups, and let the first group go ^'be- 
hind the scenes." Then one after another can 
look through the rabbit's eyes, and the outside 
group must try to guess who owns each pair of 
eyes. It is harder than you would think. Then 
the groups can change places, and the second 
group be guessers. 



72 WHEK^ MOTHEE LETS US GIVE A PABTY 

Next get out your modeling clay and aprons, 
and the whole party can model rabbits. The 
sculptor of the most life-like rabbit will of course 
deserve a prize. 

^' Magic Music," or '^Rabbit Hunt/' is the next 
game. Choose some one to leave the room. 
Then hide the candy rabbit, and mother will be- 
gin to play softly. The '' hunter'' must be 
guided by the music, which is soft as he is far 
from the hiding place, but grows loud when he 
is near. If there is time before supper, the chil- 
dren can ^^ settle down," while mother reads 
aloud a ''B'rer Rabbit" story. 

^^B'rer Rabbit" is king of the supper table, 
too, for he sits proudly in the center, holding 
pink ribbons like reins in his hands. These rib- 
bons run to each place and are fastened to what- 
ever souvenirs you have chosen to give your 
friends. ^^Baby Bunting" dolls would be nice 
for them. 

For refreshments, serve sandwiches, rabbit 
cookies, candy, salted nuts and ice cream in rab- 
bit forms. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 73 

MAY DAY PARTY (Outdoors) 

It does seem as if May Day ought to be spent 
in the woods and fields, under bright bhie slvies. 
So if the weatlier man will be so very obliging 
as to prophesy a mild May Day, why then let's 
off to the woods for a May Day party. Ask 
your guests to bring baskets for gathering flow- 
ers, and it would be a good plan to have a trowel 
with you to dig up ferns and plants. 

If you can have your May party near a brook, 
a boat race would be a great deal of fun, and 
you can provide boats for your guests. ^^ Still 
Pond" is a good game for a May party, and so 
is ^'Puss in the Corner." 

Mother will pack up a picnic luncheon for 
you, and the ''first picnic" of the season will 
surely be a success. 



MAY DAY 

May Day always makes us think of a May 
pole, and May dance, and a pretty queen crowned 
with flowers. But May Day is apt to be chilly 
and disagreeable, so you couldn't very well think 
of tripping around the May pole with your win- 
ter coat and your overshoes on. But how a]30ut 
a Sunshine May party for your Sunday-school 



74 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

class ? If mother is willing, invite your teacher, 
the girls (for this is a girls' party. We're sorry, 
boys, but you really wouldn't enjoy this!) Buy 
some colored crepe paper and a couple of dozen 
round paper cases such as are sold for fifteen 
cents a dozen. Paste and scissors will be needed 
also. When your friends come you can all busy 
yourselves making May baskets from the crepe 
paper and the paper cases. 

When they are all finished they may be filled 
with spring flowers and sent to a children's hos- 
pital. Wouldn't you enjoy a pretty little basket 
of flowers if you were sick ^, 

Then it will be a simple matter to ^^ clear up" 
and set the table for afternoon tea. But per- 
haps the ''best mother that ever was" has deco- 
rated the table in the dining-room with spring 
flowers, and has prepared an appetizing supper 
of creamed chicken, peas, potato chips, cake and 
tutti-frutti jelly. That would be better, even, 
than afternoon tea! 




-A.D>a^ • £U DELU 



Queen of the May. 



76 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



On Fourth of July, please be my guest, 
But don 't fix up in your Sunday best ! 
The reason you know, I well suppose, 
You can't have fun in your Sunday clothes. 



WHEX MOTHER EET8 US GIVE A rARTY 77 
FOURTH OF JULY PARTY 

Mother will liiglily ap23roYe of a Fourth of 
July Avitliout fireAYorks, and when you ask to 
have a Fourth of Juh^ lawn party she will be 
quite sure to say ^^Yes." If you haven't note 
paper with a firecracker in the corner, wiiy, you 
can get out your box of paints and do the deco- 
rating yourself. A red firecracker isn't hard 
to draw and paint. For this party you wall need 
two dozen tiny flags (the ]oaper ones will do 
nicely), two tape measures, three shallow bas- 
kets, of different sizes, three red, three white and 
three blue bean bags, an archery set, with red, 
white and blue target. Beside all these, have on 
hand plenty of candy torpedoes, and as many red, 
white and blue baskets as you have invited chil- 
dren. Don't forget to have several prizes ready. 

An archery contest will be a great deal of fun, 
and you can use a gim (instead of a bow) with 
rubber-tipped arrows. Each circle in the tar- 
get counts a certain number of points, and mother 
will probably consent to be score keeper. 

Next comes a '^soldier" game. Divide the 
children into two companies, and let each com- 
pany stand in a row, facing the other, with a line 
drawn on the groimd between them. The first 
row^ sing, to the tune of ^^ Mulberry Bush," 



78 WHEN MOTHEK LETS TJS GIVE A PARTY 

Soldiers are we who figlit the foe, 
Fight the foe, fight the foe, 
Soldiers are we who fight the foe, 
So early in the morning. 

The second row sing : 

Who will you send to fight the foe. 
Fight the foe, fight the foe, 
Who will you send to fight the foe, 
So early in the morning'? 

The first company answer : 

O, we 'U send Jimmy to fight the foe, etc. 

The second company then sing : 

And we'll send Tommy to capture him, 
Capture him, capture him, etc. 

Jimmy and Tommy join hands across the line 
for a tug of war, and whichever one is pulled over 
must join the enemy's forces. At the end of 
fifteen minutes the side which has the most ^^sol- 
diers'' wins. 

Next comes *'bean bag toss." Arrange the 
three shallow baskets one inside the other, and 
let each child stand ten feet distant. Now, he 
must toss the bean bags into the baskets, and a 
bag which falls in the center basket counts fif- 
teen, in the next, ten, and in the outer one, five. 



WHEN MOTJdEK LETS US GIVE A I'AKTY 79 

Give a prize to the child who wins the most 
points. 

After tliis you can have a flag race. Choose 
two of your guests and give each twelve flags and 
a tape measure. The flags must be set in the 
ground one foot apart, and the one who has his 
row set out first wins. The children can run in 
couples, then the whinners should race, and the 
victorious ^^flag planter" should be i^ewarded 
with a prize. 

Next you wall all enjoy a torpedo hunt. Dis- 
tribute the baskets, and if vou search in the 
grass, and among the bushes, and on the piazza, 
you will find torpedoes hidden. These w^on't 
^^go off," but, better yet, they are filled with 
candv. 

By this time you wdll be w^ondering if it isn't 
supper time, and, sure enough, mother apjoears 
to lead the way. The table has been set in patri- 
otic style, wdth red, w^hite and blue paper table- 
cloth and napkins. At each place have a tall 
^^ cannon cracker" filled with bonbons, and in the 
center of the table mav be a red, w^hite and blue 
^^ Jack Horner" pie. Tricolor ribbons run from 
this to each place and are attached to a j)lace 
card. Serve sandwiches, ice cream, lemonade 
and cake. After you have finished, draw your 



80 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

ribbons, and out of the pie will come a gift 
wrapped in red, white or blue paper. 

Mother may be tired from the ''party," but 
she will be happier than if you had been playing 
with firecrackers all day. Just ask her! 



'Tis Hallowe 'en, when witches fly 
On broomstick steeds across the sky, 
iWhen sheeted ghosts in silence stalk, 
And goblins in the garden walk. 






WHEX :\I OTHER LETS T^S GIVE A TARTY 81 
HALLOWE'EN PARTY 

ALTHorGH mother says that you are not old 
enough to stay up late for a Hallowe'en frolic, 
very likely she'll let you have a party in the af- 
ternoon. You can darken the rooms and have 
just as good a time as if it were an evening party. 
Now's the time to go to your '^dress-up" trunk 
or barrel and get out all the treasures you have 
put away there. Buy masks, so that each of 
your friends will have one, for it wouldn't be 
Hallowe'en without ^^ dressing up," would it"? 

Have ready a rather shallow box (about six 
inches deep) filled with sawdust, and in this box 
bury a number of gifts — one for each child whom 
you have invited. You will need a small shovel, 
too. 

Have ready also several quarts of peanuts, 
plenty of red a]3ples, and the favors which come 
in the form of walnuts. These you can make 
yourself, if you like, by cracking walnuts care- 
fully so that the halves will be perfect. Place 
inside the shell one of the printed ^'fortunes," 
which you can buy, and glue the two halves of 
the shell together. If you make the ^^ magic" 
walnuts yourself, only do one at a time, or else 
you will have trouble putting the halves of the 
shell together. 



82 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PAETY 

When your friends arrive you can invite them 
to ^' dress up" in the masks and clothes which you 
have ready, and then you can have a jolly time 
playing ^' Going to Jerusalem," ^'Spin the Plat- 
ter," ^^ Magic Music" and others. Then all can 
unmask. 

Now invite your guests to sit down at small 
tables, or they may all draw up before a large 
table, and ^give each twenty peanuts, a saucer 
and a long hat pin. When the signal is given, 
each must spear the peanuts, one at a time, with 
the hat pin, and put them in the saucer. This is 
quite a good deal harder than it sounds. A 
prize should reward the one who finishes first. 

Next fill a tumbler with flour, press it down 
tightly and turn it out in a mold. Stick a dime 
(which you have washed) in the top of this mold 
and set it on a small table. Form in line and 
march around the table, and each in turn must 
cut a slice from the mold, straight down. 
Whosever slice makes the mold fall in, must lift 
out the dime with his teeth. 

Shadow pictures will be a great deal of fun. 
Stretch a sheet across the room and divide the 
company into two groups. Arrange a light so 
that shadow pictures can be made on the screen. 
Now let the first group go '^behind the scenes," 
and one after the other pass between the light 




A Hallowe'en Party 



84 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

and the curtain. The audience must guess 
'^Wlio's wlio," so, of course, the otliers must try 
to fix themselves up so that their sliadows will 
not be recognized. After all of the first group 
have been guessed, the second group can be ^^ ac- 
tors.'' 

^'Bobbing for apples" means a tub of water 
and a great deal of splashing, so mother would 
probably say ^'No." Instead, hang the apples 
on strings from the ceiling, and try to bite them, 
while your hands are tied behind you. 

When you are tired of this, announce a ' ' Trip 
to the Klondike. ' ' Lead the way to your sawdust 
box and let each in turn dig till he finds a gift 
wrapped in yellow paper. 

You'll be ready for supper by this time, and 
when you see the dining-room table you'll say 
^^Oh!" Mother will have a yellow pumpkin 
jack-o'-lantern in the center, and here and there 
over the table she has placed little black cats, 
and doll witches and brownies. The sandwiches 
will be served on wooden plates decorated with 
black cats. Beside these, she will have for you 
gingerbread, cookies, nuts, fruits and nut candies. 
Of course, she hasn't forgotten the Hallowe'en 
cake in which is baked a thimble, a new penny 
and a ring. 

Try this party and see what a good time you '11 
have. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 85 

COLONIAL GARDEN PARTY 

This is a girls' party, and perhaps your Suii- 
day-scliool class would enjoy giving it on the 
church lawn. You will need quaint, old-fash- 
ioned costumes, and very likely you can find them 
in the attic, in great-grandmother's trunk. Ask 
mother to dress your hair high and powder it. 

You and your classmates can serve old-time 
refreslmients, such as frozen custard and pound 
cake, or '^election" cake, fruit i^nnch (which you 
can make like fruit lemonade) and ices. 

Arrange a program of old-fashioned music, 
such as '^Ben Bolt," ^' Nancy Lee," '^Kathleen 
Mavourneen," ^^Blue Bells of Scotland," and 
others. Your musical friends will be glad to 
help you, and your teacher will take charge of 
the refreshments, while you and your classmates 
serve the guests. You can probably make quite 
a good deal of money by this party, especially 
if there are summer hotels in your town. 



86 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



When we have eaten all we're able, 
And with regret must leave the table, 
Let's have some bright and lively jokes 
To entertain the grown-up folks. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 87 

THANKSGIVING 

After the Thanksgiving dinner, it will be a 
good plan to have some lively games for the whole 
family. Otherwise it's more than likely that 
you'll get into some mischief, at least, the boys 
will. So here are some games which you'll all 
enjoy: 

First of all, suppose you try ''It." This is 
just as foolish as it sounds, but it makes a great 
deal of fun for all. Choose some person for ' ' It. " 
He must leave the room, and when he comes in 
again, must do his best to make the others laugh. 
They, on their part, try their best not to, for the 
first who laughs becomes ''It." So the unfor- 
tunate "It" dresses up in some queer style and 
tries to win a smile from his audience, while they 
watch him very gravely. It is discouraging, in- 
deed. 

Suddenly there will be a titter, a giggle and then 
a burst of laughter from every one, and whoever 
starts the laughter must change places with " It. " 

Next try ' ' Telegrams. ' ' This calls for pencils 
and paper. Give each player eight letters of the 
alphabet. From these letters he must arrange 
a telegram, each w^ord of which must begin with 
the given letter. For instance, if the letters "S 
F M B H S A P" are given, the telegram 



88 WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

may be, ^^ Send for mother. Billy has swallowed 
a pin." 

Dumb Crambo is a good game for older peo- 
ple as well as young folks. Divide the company 
into two groups and let each choose a captain. 
One group must remain in the room, while the 
other goes out. The inside group decide on a 
word of one syllable which can be acted. Per- 
haps they choose ^^chat." Then they tell the 
others that the word rhymes with ^^bat." The 
second group tries to guess the word, but must 
act out their guesses in pantomime. They may 
try '4iat" or '^mat,'' but not until they have 
acted ^^chat" will the others applaud them. 
Then the groups change places and the second 
group becomes audience. 

^'Spin the Platter" is a lively game for 
Thanksgiving afternoon. The players must 
draw up their chairs in a circle, and each must 
have a number, odd numbers for the boys and 
even numbers for the girls. One child stands in 
the center and spins a wooden plate or tray, call- 
ing at the same time a number. The one whose 
number is called jumps up and tries to catch the 
platter before it has stopped spinning, and if he 
fails to do this he must pay a forfeit. 

Other games which you will enjoy playing on 



WHEN :^IOTRER LETS US GIVE A PAKTY 89 

Thanksgiving afternoon will be found in the 
chapter on ''Additional Games." 

So Thanksgiving afternoon, which you chil- 
dren are apt to find rather long, will pass very 
pleasantly, indeed. 

A HOLLY LUNCHEON 

Wouldn^'t it be lovely if mother let you give a 
luncheon during the holidays ? It would be quite 
^' grown up." A holly luncheon would be just 
the thing for Christmas Aveek, and your friends 
would enjo}" seeing all your pretty Christmas 
gifts. You can help mother decorate the table 
with holly. Have a large bowl of it in the center 
and a pretty spray at each place. Use holly nap- 
kins, of course. Here is a good menu for you : 

Grape fruit (surrounded by holly sprays). 

Tomato soup. 

Breaded chops (with frill of red paper). 

Tomato sauce Peas. 

Potatoes. 

Vanilla ice cream (in form of snowballs). 

Red and green buttercups. Fancy cakes. 



90 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

ADDITIONAL GAMES— MENAGERIE 

A NEW game which you will enjoy playing is 
called ' ' Menagerie. ' ' Choose one of the children 
for ^'keeper" and blindfold him. After he is 
blindfolded, each of the others must choose the 
name of some animal. The '^animals" then 
form a circle aromid the keeper and march about 
him till he gives the order to ^'halt." Then he 
calls for an animal to come into the ^^cage" (the 
circle), such as ^^bear." The bear enters the 
circle and, standing near the keeper, growls. 
The keeper must guess the name of the child 
who is the bear, and if he fails he must be keepei 
again. If he guesses right the '^bear" becomes 
the keeper. Each child, when called into the cir- 
cle, must make the noise of the animal he repre- 
sents. 



CRITICISM 

To play criticism, choose one of the children 
to be criticised. Now let another child take pen- 
cil and paper and ask each one to whisper some- 
thing about the child who was chosen, writing 
the remark down so as to remember it. Then he 
must read these sayings and the one who is criti- 
cised must guess who said them. For instance, 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 91 

Jack has asked every one to say something about 
Marjorie. "When he has finished he turns to 
Marjorie. '^Some one says you have pretty 
curls." Marjorie guesses Edna. 

Jack: ^^iSTo, you are wrong. Some one says 
your bhie sash is lovely. ' ' 

Mar j orie : ' ' Grace said that. ' ' 

If Grace was the one she must take Mar j orie 's 
place. 

Of course only pleasant things must be said 
about each other. 

MUSICAL NEIGHBORS 

This is an old-fashioned game which you will 
be sure to enjoy. Divide the company into two 
groups and blindfold one group. The blind- 
folded children must then be seated so that there 
is a vacant chair beside each of them. Then oth- 
ers must quietly sit down, so that beside each 
blindfolded child sits one who is not blindfolded. 
A chord is played on the piano and then a famil- 
iar time, such as ' ' Yankee Doodle. ' ' All the chil- 
dren who are not blindfolded must sing and the 
blindfolded ones must guess from the voice who 
is sitting beside them. Whoever guesses right is 
allowed to remove the bandage from his eyes. 
Of course in singing each one tries to disguise his 
voice. 



92 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

HUNT THE RING 

Stand in a circle and hold a cord whose ends 
are joined together, having first slipped a ring 
on the cord. Choose some child to stand in the 
center of the circle. The ring is slipped from 
one to another, always keeping it hidden by the 
hands, and the one in the middle must catch hold 
of the hands of whoever has the ring. If he 
can catch a child with the ring really in his hands 
then that one must go in the center of the circle. 
Of course the ring must be slipped from one to 
another very quickly. 

SLIP THE RULER 

This is very much like ^^Hunt the Ring," ex- 
cept that instead of standing in a circle you must 
sit down in a row. One child must stand in front 
of the row, while the others pass a ruler from 
hand to hand in regular order up and down the 
line. He must tiy and catch the ruler, and who- 
ever is caught with it in his hands must exchange 
places with the other. 

BEAST, BIRD OR FISH 

This is a game in which you must think 
quickly. The leader of this game says, ^^ Beast, 



o 



WHEX :mother lets us give a pakty 9^ 

bird or iisli," then quickly pointing to one cliilcl 
calls, **Fish! one, two, three, four, five, six, 
seven, eight, nine, ten!" While he is counting 
ten the other must name some kind of a fish, and 
if he fails the leader has another chance. If he 
succeeds he becomes leader. 



SHOUTING PROVERB^ 

This is a game which makes plenty of noise. 
Send one child from the room and choose some 
proverb, such as ^'A stitch in time saves nine." 
Give each j)layer one W'Ord of the proverb and 
call the ^* outsider" in. When he gives the sig- 
nal you must each say your word, altogether. If 
he doesn't guess from the noise what the prov- 
erb is, you must repeat it twice more for him. 
If he can 't guess then, he must go out again, and 
you choose another jproverb. 



BEANS 

Divide the children in two companies, standing 
in line, facing each other (like a spelling match) . 
The leader of each line has a handful of beans, 
and when the signal is given the beans are passed 
down the line from one to the other. The last 



94: WHEN MOTHER LETS TJS GIVE A PARTY 

player places his in a bowl, and whichever side 
has the most, wins, for beans that have been 
dropped are not counted. 



WHAT IS MY THOTTGHT LIKE 

Probably grandmother played this game when 
she was your age, for it is very old. To begin the 
game, the leader asks each child in turn, ^'What 
is my thought like *? ' ' and each in turn mentions 
some object, such as a rose, a book, an orange, 
etc. Then the leader says, ^^I was thinking of 
Ethel. ' ' Turning to the first child he says, ' ' You 
said my thought was like a rose. Why is Ethel 
like a rosel" The answer might be, *^ Because 
she is pretty. ' ' 

The next is asked: ^'Why is she like an 
orange V^ ' 'Because I am fond of her. ' ' 

So each in turn must give some reason why 
Ethel is like the object he named. 

POST 

To play Post arrange the chairs in a large cir- 
cle, while one child, chosen for postman, stands 
blindfolded in the center of the circle. Each of 
the others must now take a name of some city 
or town. When ready to begin the postman calls. 



WHEX :\rOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 95 

'^A letter is going from Washington to London," 
and the children who have chosen these names 
must change places, while the postman tries to 
catch one. Whoever is caught must be postman 
and give up his place to the former postman. 
If the postman calls, ^'All the letters are going," 
every one must change his seat, and there is a 
general scramble, in w^hich some one is sure to be 
caught. 



CHARADES 

These are always a great deal of fun, for they 
mean ^* dressing up," and who doesn't enjoy that. 
Some good words for charades are car-pet, pil- 
grim-age, tea-sing, in-dolent (inn-dough-lent) 
and child-hood. Of course you will need moth- 
er's help when you play charades. 

HOW, WHEN AND WHERE 

Send one player from the room and then choose 
some object, such as a flower. Call him in again 
and let him try to gTiess what you have chosen. 
So he must ask each player in turn, ' ' How^ do you 
like it ? " The first may answer, ' ' I like it pink. ' ' 
The next, ^^I like it fresh," etc. The guesser 
then asks each in turn, ^^When do you like it?" 



96 WHEN MOTHEK LETS US GIVE A PARTY 

and tlie others reply, ^^Wlien I am going to a 
party,'' ^^When I am sick/' ^^Wlien I am going 
to make bread." Tliis last will be puzzling be- 
cause it means another kind of flour. If he is 
not able to guess when he has asked all these ques- 
tions, he can go round once more with the ques- 
tion, ^' Where do you like if^" Whoever ^ Ogives 
it away" must be the one to go onto 



PEANUT GRAB 

For this game place a pile of peanuts on a ta- 
ble. Now form in line and all march around it. 
Each one, as he passes the pile of peanuts, takes 
a handful, and when all have marched past they 
can count to see who has been able to hold the 
most in his hand. 



FEATHERS 

This is a game in which you have to ^'pay at- 
tention," and perhaps you have played it at 
school. You must all sit in a circle and let your 
hands hang down from the wrists. The leader 
of this game begins, ^^Cats have feathers, dogs 
have feathers, rabbits have feathers, geese have 
feathers. ' ' The minute he names something that 



WHEX MOTHER LETS US GIVE A PARTY 



97 



really has feathers, you must all raise your hands 
and wave them. Whoever doesn't do this must 
pay a forfeit. As the leader must speak very, 
very quickly, it is easy to be ''caught napping." 




1L9 



6^ 



.A^ 



^^. 



-^^^ ^0 



x^e 



^^.. '^: 



\' 



o 



'■^ 






^ C N c; , 






\> s^ ^ * « /- > ,0^ . 

7. 






















a 0^ 





1 » . •'' 









'^A 


V^^ 








x^^^. 


"^y 


'7 

.'A «^ 






.^' 

















\ 















\ 



.-■^ 








"oo^ 




,^^ ^. 




X' ^ -^ "' " " ' 


x^"^- 
r 


V 



:>. ^., . . - -^ . . .■ A 






•',''^^«1^ ,. 






^-^^ o>^\-'.:%/^-' .V ^' ;^^ 






■x^ ' -^^ 



'X O^ J^ ,i - . ^ ,l< ^ // < -X .M 



t'ONGRESS 



020 237 159 




